Metaphysics

Novy SP08

Notes for “Death Metaphysics & Morality” (Intro to Fischer text)

 

Dying, Death & Being Dead

  1. Dying: Process occurring to/in the living
  2. Death: Transition between “dying” and “being dead”
    1. A point? An event? A process?
    2. Does not include consciousness; an “experiential blank”
  3. Being Dead: Condition or state of the no longer living
    1. Does not include consciousness; an “experiential blank”

 

Criteria of Death: tests for the existence of death

  1. Traditional: heart-lung death (cessation of essential bodily functions)
  2. Brain death (cessation of brain functioning)
  3. Does differing criteria mean different concepts or different paths to same concept?

 

Concept of Death: Permanent & irreversible cessation of life

  1. Biological conception
  2. Moral conception
  3. Metaphysical conception

 

Death and Meaning Version #1

  1. Without death, life would lack coherence and structure necessary for life to be meaningful
  2. For immortality to be desirable
    1. Option 1: Future person is identical to individual
    2. Option 2: Life of the future person must be attractive to the individual
    3. Argument:

                                                               i.      C: The individual’s particular character (goals, projects, dispositions, etc.)

                                                             ii.      Either (a) C remains the same over time or  (b) C changes over time

                                                            iii.      If (a), fulfills Option 1, but individual becomes bored and detached

                                                            iv.      If (b), fails to satisfy Option 2

                                                              v.      \Immortality is not desirable

 

Death and Meaning Version #2

  1. Death is a bad/evil/ etc. only for creatures who are capable of leading a meaningful life
  2. Personhood:  moral responsibilities & right to life
  3. Metaphysical Rambo:
    1. freely constructing a life plan + opportunity to act in accord with it
    2. Minimally requires consciousness, rationality, & free will

 

Why and how death is bad?

  1. What is the nature of the harm/bad? Who is the subject of it? When does it take place?
  2. Making sense of the “badness”
    1. Epicurean View
    2. “Bad” is comparative
    3. Conditional vs. categorical desires
    4. Desire-frustration account of death’s badness
    5. Deprivation account of death’s badness (possible worlds account)
  3. Symmetry of prenatal nonexistence with postmortem nonexistence?

 

Death and Morality

  1. A future like ours (Marquis)

 

Is there plumbing in heaven? Will we need haircuts?